Halifax MZ408 damaged in the air, crash landed near Leconfield airfield.
During the afternoon of 16th November 1944 this 640 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Julich and took off from Leconfield at 12.41hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area at 15.30hrs from 14,000 feet and while over the target area the aircraft was struck by flak which damaged the port wing. Four other 640 Squadron aircraft were damaged by flak on this raid. After leaving the target area the temperature gauge on the starboard outer engine rose so the crew shut down the engine and feathered the propeller, believing it was also damaged by flak. Despite the damage the crew managed to fly back to the circuit of Leconfield airfield. At 17.34hrs the pilot attempted to land but was forced to fly an overshoot. At around 400 feet above the ground and with the wheels down the pilot temporarily lost control due to a loss of engine power. Regaining control a forced landing was made near the airfield with the wheels down, the aircraft ran through a couple of fields before it passed over a ditch and this broke the undercarriage legs. It came to rest a short distance later with fuselage broken in two and in doing so the aircraft was badly damaged.
William Chorley's Bomber Command Losses book entry for this incident is not correct in the fact he names totally the wrong crew for whatever reason. A perfect demonstration not to take modern publications, however good they generally are, to be fact and to do your own research.
Pilot - F/O Ronald Owen James Buckland RAFVR (176444).
Navigator - Sgt R Craig Nightingale.
Air Bomber - F/Sgt William Gordon Holman RCAF.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J Carr.
Flight Engineer - P/O Trevor Watkins RAFVR (186557).
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Joseph Stone.
Air Gunner - Sgt Robert D Apps.